Remote Prospecting?

[Geowizard]

Web cam weather;

Remote prospecting is affected by weather conditions more than most other activities.

For those that are curious about what the current weather LOOKS like at FAA web cam sites, you can click on this link; https://avcams.faa.gov/sitelist.php

It's almost as good as being there. You can see the snow is melting away and the sky is clear and sunny!

It is maintained year-round. Looks like a good time to fly up there. My experience in Alaska has shown the best approach for prospecting in areas that have a village nearby is to go there and meet a few of the locals. Learn about how food and fuel comes in. Who to contact for services you may need. In my earlier treks to the interior, I looked for someone to function as an "agent" on the ground that can be a "receiver" for shipping supplies or equipment. A local contact can provide leads on 4-wheelers and other related items needed for a prospecting venture.

It's all part of laying out the ground work before you go after the GOLD!

Don't go away!

- Geowizard

[Geowizard]

Logistics;

Let's assume for a moment I think I KNOW where the Nugget's are hiding.

I have made reservations to fly.

My Hotel has a shuttle to pick me up at the airport when I arrive.

The plan is to charter a Cessna 206. It will carry 800 pounds.

I need someone in Anchorage to get the "stuff" that I will need. I contact an expediter.

I have used expediters in the past. They run around and pickup "the stuff" and drop it off.

I have made reservations. When me and my stuff arrive, they will provide transport.

In small villages, everybody knows everybody in the village. When I made reservations, I inquired about local resources that might provide transportation. And if so, they may call me. It worked!

When an outsider arrives in a Village, it is a good idea to take a while to meet people and learn the local customs and courtesies. Fitting in to the community and assuring people in the community that you are friendly and in the process, developing friendships is an important first step.

People that live in the bush appreciate knowing outsiders that can bring provisions in "from town". Helping others and tossing in a few items needed by new found friends is a tradition in bush life.

Don't go away, I will be back with more!

- Geowizard

[Geowizard]

Things to see and do in an old mining district;

We started prospecting the mining district. We could see the beginning of mineralization.

What could be in the "deposit"?

"Assays of the ore contain 1.47 to 82 ounces of silver per ton, 8.7 percent to 15.3 percent lead, 0.08 to 0.89
percent zinc, and 0.02 percent copper (Thomas, 1964). A trace of gold was also reported. The maximum
eU was 0.003 percent (White and Stevens, 1953). A resource estimate by Nockleberg and others (1994) is
13,600 tonnes of ore grading 103 grams silver per ton, 0.8 percent gold, and 0.5 percent copper, with an
additional 19,100 tonnes containing 26.1 grams silver per ton, 4.2 percent lead, 0.16 percent zinc, and 0.2
percent copper (Nokleberg and others, 1994).
The Beaver Creek prospect lies within 250 m of the Angayucham-Tozitna thrust fault, and this fault could..."

This could give us a clue about the "mineralization" contained in the deposit.

Don't go away!

- Geowizard

[Geowizard]

Them and us;

The first consideration remote prospectors are faced with is the question of ownership of the mineral rights. There isn't any reason for a prospector to go out and make a discovery on land that the mineral rights cannot be staked and claimed.

In the case of the ownership of the land in and around any mining district, (IMHO) under the current "temporary" DOI permitting moratorium, prospecting should be limited to townships that are NOT under Federal Government control.

The townships are under BLM surface/subsurface control.

K009S017E:
BLM

K011S017E:
BLM

K011S017E:
BLM

The GOOD news;

Ten townships are administered by the State of Alaska. In those townships, I have been able to identify major deposits containing anomalous mineralization. All of the deposits are directly associated with and/or proximal to active placer GOLD mining operations.

Stick around!

- Geowizard

[Geowizard]

logistics update;

One thing remote prospectors want to avoid is ending up the creek without a paddle.

The village apparently only has a store and a post office. With a small population and limited resources, prospectors would be well advised to bring their resources with them.

Access by air;

Wright Air Service in Fairbanks flies a scheduled route from Fairbanks. They have scheduled stops at villages along the Yukon River. This is good news for prospectors that are planning longer stays and want to get follow-up provisions flown in. Wright also advertises "extended" freight service.

Barge Service;

Barges run up and down the Yukon River all summer. There are several ways to arrange for heavy equipment including 4-wheelers, etc. to be barged down the Yukon from Fairbanks/Tanana.

The Yukon River serves as a route for barge traffic from Seattle.

Stick around!

- Geowizard

[Jim_Alaska]

Good informative post Chuck. It helps with the logistics of "how to".

In my trapping years we used Wright Air Service to access remote villages to buy fur. We had specific dates that we would be at each village which revolved around Wright's scheduled arrival and return. Trappers would hold their fur until we were scheduled to be there. It was kind of concerning carrying a big pile of cash to remote villages, but cash was the only way we bought out there. Fly in, set up and buy fur until Wright's return, then back to Fairbanks.

Most non-resident people would be amazed at the various means of getting stuff from "here to there" in remote Alaska.

[Geowizard]

Jim,

I didn't know you were a fur buyer! Thanks for sharing that!

- Geowizard

[gabbie]

Good informative post Chuck. It helps with the logistics of "how to".

In my trapping years we used Wright Air Service to access remote villages to buy fur. We had specific dates that we would be at each village which revolved around Wright's scheduled arrival and return. Trappers would hold their fur until we were scheduled to be there. It was kind of concerning carrying a big pile of cash to remote villages, but cash was the only way we bought out there. Fly in, set up and buy fur until Wright's return, then back to Fairbanks.

Most non-resident people would be amazed at the various means of getting stuff from "here to there" in remote Alaska.

i had a good friend in fairbanks that used to do the same dean wilson he pasted a few years ago now that must of been a real adventure

[Jim_Alaska]

I knew dean, sold fur to him a number of times. Later on in my trapping life I took a job buying fur for a guy out in North Pole, that is the one I was referring to. Never actually bought fur for myself. to chancy being at the mercy of over seas fur markets.

I can't remember that guys name, even though I knew him well, but he bought a lot of fur. Once he found out that I knew how to grade fur he asked me to be a buyer for him. I have also sold fur to Joe Mattie in Fairbanks.

[Jim_Alaska]

After I posted this I remembered the guys name I bought fur for; it was Fred Chase. He owned Chase Arctic Trading in North Pole.